Sibling Rivalry
by Irene Sharda
Summary: When Blackfire escapes from exile and enslaves Tamaran, it seems Starfire and the other Teen Titans can do nothing to stop her. Her only hope is to find a mysterious and banished young Tamaranian named Novafire, who seems to want nothing to do with her...


Zunesta looked through the crack in the locked door, making sure she was out of immediate danger…at least for now. Usually, on a day like this, she would have been doing her homework, while watching her little brother Snaretan as he played with his pet _snarfnaugt_, Reif.

However, things had changed a lot in the last few days…

Snaretan was **dead**, as were their parents—all killed in cold blood. Their house was practically in a shambles, and their simple lifestyle was now a fight for survival. Their beautiful world had become a devastated and enslaved war zone.

Sudden pain shot through her body, causing her to cough violently. Blood splattered all over the floor from out of her throat, and ran down the sides of her mouth. She gasped in pain as she felt more blood gushing from the hole in her abdomen. She sucked it in trying to resist the urge, to succumb to the claws of death. There would be time for that soon enough…

Staggering up to the communication control panel, Zunesta keyed in the message panel and set the message destination; to the Terran address number she was given. Her finger wavered as she pushed the 'record' button.

A shaft of light overtook her, and she sighed in relief that the machine still worked. Standing as straight and as tall as she could, she relayed out her message to the best of her ability.

Once she was done, she hit 'End' then slid to the ground in relief and agony. She had been able to give the message. "It's all up to you now, _Koriand'r_. I—I can do no more…"

Suddenly, the door exploded open, and a shadowy figure in stiletto boots walked through the shambled entryway. On each side of the distinctly female figure, were hulking, masked gunman, their barrels aimed straight at her. The female herself, glared at the girl with a look of amusement and ecstasy—like that of a cat looking at its cornered prey.

Zunesta ground her teeth in anger at the figure, feeling the woman's glowing violet eyes on her. Her voice dripped with hatred and sarcasm. "Well, if it isn't the brat princess, come to pay me a visit. I'm thrilled."

"That's 'brat _Empress_' actually." The woman smiled back venomously. "And you're pretty talkative, for someone who's about to die."

"That's not a problem, is it? _Princess_?" the girl answered back maliciously.

The woman laughed charmingly, then without warning—she swung her leg around in a round-house kick, snapping her sharp heel against the girl's face!

Zunesta picked herself up from the ground excruciatingly, feeling blood run down the side of her cheek from the large gash there. Her eyes still held their defiance as she looked up at the would-be _empress_. "I'm sorry, not princess—maybe _whore_ would be more appropriate?"

The woman glared at her angrily, and stepped back, putting her left arm in the air. The distinct command for her gunmen to take aim…

Zunesta smiled to herself, never dreaming that she would ever die this way. However, under the circumstances, **nothing** would give her greater honor. She whispered to herself, "There is…one more thing I can…do for you, _Koriand'r_."

With the last of her strength, she jumped up to the panel and slammed her finger on the 'Send' button—just before she felt the first shots rip through her already ravaged body.

Falling to the ground, her senses were already shutting down, as she couldn't hear sounds anymore. She watched through her dimming eyes at the woman's fuming face, as she formed the words, "Fire again"…

Empress Blackfire watched as the plasma bullets tore through the resistance fighter's body, taking delight in it, even though she knew the girl was already dead. She had an idea who she sent the message to, but it didn't really bother her. _Let her come, I was going to deal with her and her little friends eventually, anyway…_


End file.
